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<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/22853275">One Moment</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/Lyssandra_Med/pseuds/Lyssandra_Med'>Lyssandra_Med</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Series:</b></td><td>Lovingly Dysfunctional [9]</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>Harry Potter - J. K. Rowling</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Established Relationship, F/F</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>Completed</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2020-02-23</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2020-02-23</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-04-28 18:21:12</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>General Audiences</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings, No Archive Warnings Apply</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>1</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>1,162</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/22853275</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/Lyssandra_Med/pseuds/Lyssandra_Med</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>Hermione isn't used to things going right.</p><p>But then they do.</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Relationships:</b></td><td>Hermione Granger/Bellatrix Black Lestrange</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Series:</b></td><td>Lovingly Dysfunctional [9]</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Series URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/series/1456105</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Comments:</b></td><td>6</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>87</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>One Moment</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><ul class="associations">
      <li>For <a href="https://archiveofourown.org/users/Tekturna/gifts">Tekturna</a>.</li>



    </ul><blockquote class="userstuff">
      <p>not edited one shot, not in same universe of Lovingly Dysfunctional, but close enough</p>
    </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  <span>Up and down, over and over, Hermione paced the stairwell with singleminded obsession and worried at the fraying sleeves of her sweater.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>It wasn’t that old of a top, quite possibly less than a year or two old at most, but it was well worn to the point of being threadbare in places. It was a simple design in the ways that she enjoyed now that she was older and wiser and far more often chose comfort over dashing looks, regardless of still being quite young. Muted colours with no frills or anything fanciful in the design, just a dull maroon colour that reminded her of school and sleeves that fell down past her fingertips. A wide enough neckline for Bellatrix to leave evidence of lovebites. It was </span>
  <em>
    <span>hers</span>
  </em>
  <span> in a way that so many things hadn’t been ever since her parents had disappeared so many nights ago.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Three years of post-graduate study, a whirlwind romance, and the sudden and inexplicable loss of the two people who had supported her most in life. Bellatrix had been beside her the whole while; Hermione’s initial phone call with the police had been in Bellatrix’s living room even, and the older woman had made it her mission to remain stoically by her side every uncertain moment since then. Bellatrix was calming to the point of being soothing, and a precious balm to Hermione’s psyche.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>A boon in an uncertain life.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>A former college professor turned to lover turned to housemate, and more than that soon enough. The mother of their child, should everything go well.</span>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <span>Delphi.</span>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <span>They had both settled on the name before even deciding they should take a chance and shoot at the moon. It was a leftover from Bellatrix’s mother, the top amid a list that she </span>
  <em>
    <span>could</span>
  </em>
  <span> have been named. But in the end, Druella had settled on Bellatrix and now they were free to use the name as they saw fit.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>And they </span>
  <em>
    <span>did</span>
  </em>
  <span> want to use it. Hermione wanted to write down that name more than anything in the world besides finding her family. Something and someone to hold onto, a family that was </span>
  <em>
    <span>hers,</span>
  </em>
  <span> who she could love unconditionally. Her therapist had words for that. Words that were long and verbose and intricately design to wind themselves around the loss of her prior family. Hermione had managed to remain unswayed.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>A year later and suddenly her soon to be wife was in labour at the nearest Hospital with what remained of both their families surrounding them. All except for Hermione.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Andromeda had managed to show up first. Her proximity to the location had been facilitated by her constant need and desire for updates. Narcissa had popped up next, aware that </span>
  <em>
    <span>something</span>
  </em>
  <span> was happening even if she didn’t quite know </span>
  <em>
    <span>what.</span>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <span>Even Harry had put in an appearance after Molly managed to find him squirrelled away with his lover for the weekend. Ronald had unfortunately needed to send his best regards and Lavender along with them. They were a merry little band of miscreants all there for her and Bellatrix and the unborn trying to find her way out.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Hermione, now pacing along the stairwell yet again and wringing her hands through her hair for the umpteenth time while biting at her lip in repeating patterns while fighting to forestall the rapidly increasing beat of her heart. Her mind was in an utter turmoil that only grew worse the longer that the day dragged on, the longer that Bellatrix sunk down within fits of pain that worried at her heart and sent all the doctors scrambling with barely hidden displeasure. The dreaded </span>
  <em>
    <span>beep-beep-beep</span>
  </em>
  <span> of machinery had gone on long enough. By the time that Bellatrix received her blessed medication, Hermione just hadn’t the heart to continue waiting at her side any longer.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>She had strode on past Bellatrix’s sisters and gently let them all know where she would be if they needed her. Then, with no grace or poise in her movements, she sprinted off towards the nearest restroom to relieve herself of the remnants from the morning’s breakfast. It was all so </span>
  <em>
    <span>worrying.</span>
  </em>
  <span> Everything could go wrong and with the path her life had taken she was certain that she was due for more pain than happiness. Due for more things to fall apart rather than come together as a cohesive whole. Her daughter </span>
  <em>
    <span>would</span>
  </em>
  <span> be born that day, she knew it, but Hermione also knew that the world would hurt her whenever it could.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>She could only hold out for the hope that this one time it would be different.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Again Hermione started upwards to ascend to the floor hanging above Bellatrix’s, this time pulling at a stand of blended fabric with her teeth as her free hand wound fingers into the tangled curls of her hair. So many things could go wrong, either one of her precious loves could be hurt, both of them could-</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Hermione? You up here?!” A voice shouted up at her from below, the shocking clang of the stairwell door crashing harshly into the wall startling Hermione into a jump. “Hermione, get the fuck back down here!”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Hermione flew down the stairwell without a second of indecision holding her back, feet only just barely managing to stick the landing as her mind rushed into overdrive. The mass of curls in front of her bobbed and weaved around as the person who had come to find her - </span>
  <em>
    <span>Andromeda this time</span>
  </em>
  <span> - moved with all the haste and frenzy that she could muster. Screaming met her ears, a growling tone that was </span>
  <em>
    <span>angry</span>
  </em>
  <span> and </span>
  <b>
    <em>pained-</em>
  </b>
</p><p>
  <span>Hermione slid into the room with no time left to spare and grabbed ahold of Bellatrix’s wildly swinging fist, bring sharp knuckles to her lips while soft words passed off the tip of her tongue.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>A scream.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Pain.</span>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <span>Life.</span>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <span>Hermione stared with incredulous eyes that belied the happiness within her heart as Delphi took her first heaving lungfuls of air and </span>
  <em>
    <span>screamed</span>
  </em>
  <span> it all back out at them.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Well then,” Harry started, nervously standing behind them and wringing his hands out. “Seems she takes after Bellatrix, eh?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Hermione swatted at his arm, a pale stick she could barely see through the film of tears that dashed across her eyes. Andromeda came up behind her to lay a hand down upon her shoulder and press words of encouragement and congratulations in her ear. Narcissa followed up in the same manner, and then Lavender as well. Soon enough a child was pressed into her arms and Bellatrix looked up so lovingly that Hermione could barely contain herself.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>A twisted few years, capped off with the introduction of </span>
  <em>
    <span>her</span>
  </em>
  <span> child, </span>
  <em>
    <span>Bellatrix’s</span>
  </em>
  <span> child. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Her raven-haired wife looked just as proud and boastful as she could be, all their friends and family filled with smiles and warm words.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Bellatrix cried.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Delphi did as well.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>And it was with a soothed heart that Hermione joined them, tears of sweetness instead of salt falling down her cheeks.</span>
</p>
  </div></div>
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